Combination drain spout and cess tank for vehiclar toilets



COMBINATION DRAIN SPOUT AND 0835 TANK FOR VEHICULAR TOILETS Filed April 9, 1953 E. K. GOINS July 24, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR EDWARD K. GOINS C. ATT'ORN Y E. K. GOINS July 24, 1956 COMBINATION DRAIN SPOUT AND CESS TANK FOR VEHICULAR TOILETS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 9, 1953 INVENTOR EDWARD K. GOINS w AT 'I ORN EY CGMBENATIGN DRAIN SlOUT AND CESS TANK FOR VEHICULAR TOILETS Edward K. Goins, Pocatello, Idaho Application April 9, 1953, Serial No. 347,705

2 Claims. (Cl. 4-8

This invention relates to vehicular toilets and more sates Patent particularly to a toilet drain spout enlarged into a funnel-form whereby it is adapted to form the body of an auxiliary cess tank; and has for an object to provide improved means for collecting and temporarily retaining the matter commonly deposited in the hopper of the associated toilet.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a positive means for operating the bottom closure of an auxiliary cess tank for a vehicular toilet; whereby a more positive action is provided than has been achieved in prior patents, particularly by U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,604,635, Edward K. Goins et al.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide in an auxiliary cess tank a bottom closure and associated parts of forms adapted to function under all conditions of the weather; adapted to be installed on standard vehicles without interference with structural parts of the associated vehicle; and further adapted to be connected to and function therewith the services commonly installed in vehicles requiring a toilet.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide positive controls of simple form for opening and closing an auxiliary cess tank whereby the caretaker may quickly close said tank when the vehicle is stopped and open the same when the vehicle moves away to suitable area.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

In the accompanying drawings are shown the novel features and construction of one embodiment of the device according to the present invention:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a vehicular toilet of common form and showing the plan of a hand wheel for operating the means for closing and opening the bottom of the associated combination drain spout and cess tank;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view approximately along the line 22 Fig. 1, and showing the combination drain spout and cess tank in relation to the outlet of the associated vehicular toilet when the vertical axis of same is offset with respect to said outlet to avoid interference with structural parts of the associated vehicle;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view approximately along the line 33 Fig. 1, showing the hand wheel and associated parts for opening and closing the bottom of said auxiliary cess tank, showing an offset fragmentary sectional view of said tank, and showing the associated means for closing the bottom of said tank in upper off-position by dotted lines;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end view of the housing for the worm gear means for operating the bottom closure, showing in vertical section a spring-applied stop for retaining the supporting arm of said bottom closure in off-positon, and showng said supporting arm in contact with the upper limiting stop; and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the bottom closure, and showing portions of adjacent parts.

In the following description certain specific terms are used for convenience in referring to various details of the invention. These terms, however, are to be 'gven as broad an interpretation as the state of the art will permit.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the following is a description thereof wherein like and corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters.

In the embodiment of the invention disclosed the nu meral 1 represents the funnel-form walls of a combination drain spout and cess tank for a vehicular toilet. The upper end of said funnel-form member terminates in a disc-like top that extends radially to form a flange 2 adapted to be secured to the floor 3 of the vehicle body supporting the associated toilet hopper 4 and accessories. Said disc-like top has a circular opening 5 substantially conforming to the contour of the outlet 6 of said associated toilet. To provide a seal joint between said top and said floor, a groove 7 is provided on the upper side of said top substantially concentric with said opening 5, and a flexible packing ring 8 occupies said groove 7. A

- 1 series of oblong screen openings 9 are circumferentially spaced apart in the upper end of said member 1 adjacent to the under side of said flange 2. A conical flange slopes downwardly from the lower edges of said screen openings and terminates in a sharp edge 10, constituting an upper dripv rim. Said screen openings permit excess fluid to drain from said cess tank but retain all more solid material commonly deposited in said hopper 4.

Said opening 5 may be offset with respect to the axis of said member 1 as required to avoid interference between same with structural parts, as at 11 Fig. 2, of the associated vehicle.

Said member 1 has a lower opening area of not less than the area of said outlet 6, and which has a closure means consisting of a pivotally supported member 12 having an outer conical surface substantially conforming to the inner conical surface of said lower opening area, and a peripheral groove 13 in said outer conical surface is provided with a flexible packing ring 14, which is adapted to function as a seal between said closure means and said lower opening. A spherical concave surface 15 on the lower side of said member 12 provides for pivotally supporting same on the end 16 A of an arm 16. Said concave surface 15 is adapted to slidably rest upon the conjunctive convex surface 17 of said end 16A. Means for attaching said member 12 to said portion 16A consists of a bolt 18 axially engaging said member 12 and extending through the counter-bored end 16A of said arm 16, a nut 19 and washer 20 on the outer end of said bolt, means 21 for locking said nut, and a compression spring 22 co-acting between said washer 20 and counter-bore shoulder 23 to retain said member 12 seated against said convex surface 17, the object of which is to prevent wear due to vibration when said member 12 is in oif-position as shown by dotted lines Fig. 3.

Said arm 16 is secured td a shaft 24. having transverse bearing support in the walls of a housing 25 extending from the side of said member 1 in a direction substantially parallel to a vertical radical plane of said member 1. Means for positioning said arm 16 and said member 12 consists of a gear 26 within said housing 25 and fixed upon said shaft 24, a worm 27 mounted substantially vertically in said housing 25 and in mesh with said gear 26, a hollow shaft portion 28 integral with said worm 27, the former extending upwardly through said floor 3, a hollow cylindrical support 29 for said shaft portion 23 having a flange base 30 secured to said floor 3, a hand wheel 31, adjacent to said hopper 4, secured to the upper end of said hollow shaft portion 28, a grease plug 32. aflixed to the upper end of said hollow shaft portion 28 for filling said housing 25 with lubricant, and a radial bore 33 in the lower end of said hollow shaft portion 28 for introducing the lubricant into said housing 25.

Means for retaining said closure member 12 in offposition is provided in connection with said housing 25. The end closure 34 of said housing 25 has an outer transverse counter-bored cylindrical extension 35, the axis of said counter-bore being perpendicular to said vertical radial plane of said member 1, the smaller end of said counter-bore being adjacent to said arm 16, best shown Fig. 4, the larger end of said counter-bore being threaded and closed with a plug 36. The spring-applied stop consists of a hollow cylindrical portion 37 slidable within the larger portion of said counter-bore, and a smaller integral portion extending through the smaller portion of said counter-bore, the latter terminating in an outer end 38 having a rounded form adapted to engage said supporting arm 16 by friction and retain same in offposition when so placed by said gear 26 and associated parts. A strong compression spring 39 is adapted to coact between said hollow cylindrical portion 37 and said plug 36 and thereby apply said outer end 38 against said supporting arm 16, to retain said arm in off-position. A stop 40 projects transversely from the upper side of said housing 25 to provide an ofiposition limit stop for said arm 16.

A hollow flange 41 extending radially from the lower end of said member 1 has dual threaded openings 42 and 43 adapted to be engaged by threaded standard wrought pipe, which provide a structural arrangement that may be used for supplying heat to prevent member 12 from sticking by freezing during low temperatures, The heat required for this purpose may be supplied by heated fluid circulating through said hollow 41 (or by electrical heating coils installed therein, not shown) according to the services available to the vehicle in which the toilet facilities are installed. The lower side of said hollow flange 41 terminates in a sharp edge constituting a lower drip rim 44.

To provide for the need for emergency use of a vehicular toilet while the vehicle bearing the same is stopped at a station where said toilet cannot be emptied requires structural means that do not interfere with standard structures of said vehicle and also requires means of control capable of being operated positively and conveniently under all conditions by the caretaker. The structural means to meet these requirements constitute the present invention. As each of the structural factors of the invention is capable of modification, such changes thereto as come within the scope of the appended claims are deemed to be a part of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A combination toilet drain spout and cess tank for being mounted below vehicle floors comprising a funnel shaped bowl capable of being attached with its top rim against the bottom of said vehicle floor at the outlet of the vehicle toilet, said bowl having a series of fluid openings through and around the top portion thereof, a member for closing the outlet opening of said bowl, a housing extending from a side of' said bowl, a supporting arm pivotally connected to a side of said housing and having said closing member mounted on an end thereof, means for pivoting said arm mounted within and through said housing, a cylinder mounted on said housing with the axis thereof extending parallel to the axis of pivoting of said arm with said arm pivoting past the open end of said cylinder, a stop slidably mounted in the open end of said cylinder for engaging said arm and tending to retain the same, means limiting the outer movement of said stop, and a spring mounted within said cylinder tending to move said stop outwardly of said cylinder.

2. A combination toilet drain spout and cess tank for being mounted below vehicle floors comprising a funnel shaped bowl capable of being attached with its rim parallel to the bottom of said vehicle floor at the outlet of the vehicle toilet, said bowl having a series of fluid openings through and around the top portion thereof, a member for closing the outlet opening of said bowl, an open end housing extending from the side of said bowl, an arm pivotally connected to said housing for movement in a vertical radial plane of said bowl and carrying said closing member, a plate mounted on the open end of said housing for closing the same, said plate having an outer transverse counter-bore cylindrical extension with the axis of said bore extending perpendicular to said vertical radial plane of said bowl, said extension being positioned with the smaller end of its bore adjacent the path of pivoting of said arm, said extension having the larger end of its bore being threaded, a threaded plug positioned in said threaded portion of said bore, a stepped cylindrical stop slidably mounted in said extension bore with the smaller end thereof being rounded and extending from said extension into the path of pivoting of said arm for at times retaining the same, a coil spring mounted in the. counter-bored portion of said extension bore and bearing against the larger end of said stop and said plug and a fixed stop mounted on said housing and positioned for limiting the movement of said arm from said bowl.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 373,522 Giles Nov. 22, 1887 932,824 Smith Aug. 31, 1909 1,113,186 Berry Oct. 13, 1914 1,126,937 Barnstead Feb. 2, 1915 1,127,235 Hamilton Feb. 2, 1915 1,130,441 Somerville Mar. 2, 1915 1,377,185 Corry May 10, 1921 1,536,823 Dob'son May 5, 1925 1,629,401 McCall May 17, 1927 1,645,631 Trinks Oct. 18, 1927 1,683,754 Bell Sept. 11, 1928 1,980,495 Muir Nov. 13, 1934 2,227,767 Smith Jan. 7-, 1941 2,274,776 Cull Mar. 3, 1942 2,504,070 Epstein Apr. 11, 1950 2,604,635 Goins July 29, 1952 2,688,341 McBain et al Sept. 7, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,426 Great Britain May 14, 1867 545,142 Germany Feb. 26, 1932 

